It has been incorporated into the “Standings Bill” (every legislator knows which bill that is), as it’s often referred to the last bill passed each year in the legislature....

We are getting down to the last days of the session (the per diem for legislators runs out Tuesday April 22, so they will not stick around too long after then), and most of the activity is on budget bills, and a few priorities of the Senate and House Democratic leadership, which so far has not “targeted” the grocery and c-store industry....

After last week’s second funnel deadline, both the House and the Senate have spent the majority of the time this past week in floor debate, mostly on “non-confrontational” bills....

Today is the Iowa Legislature’s self-imposed second “funnel.” All bills to be considered must have passed either the House or the Senate, and passed out of a committee of one of the Houses that the bill did not originate in. With a few exceptions, the second funnel deadline does not apply to Appropriations Bills, Ways & Means Bills and Government Oversight bills....

Next Friday, March 28, is the Iowa Legislature’s self-imposed second “funnel.” All bills to be considered must have passed either the House or the Senate, and passed out of a committee of one of the Houses that the bill did not originate in....

Today, March 8, is the Iowa Legislature’s self-imposed first “funnel.” All bills to be considered must have passed out of a committee in either the House or the Senate. With a few exceptions, the first funnel deadline does not apply to Appropriations Bills, Ways & Means Bills and Government Oversight bills....

Although this Update is shorter than previous ones this year, it’s not because there is no action! We will fill you in on what’s happened that’s new this week, and not “rehash” old issues, although we are still watching carefully for them....

Yes, that’s right! Over 350 from the Iowa Grocery Industry Association crammed into the ballroom at the Quality Inn & Suites to hear Gov. Chet Culver address the industry on his plan for an expanded bottle bill....

Yes, that’s right. Despite some media reports that Gov. Culver is backing down and willing to “compromise” on the bottle bill, he has shifted from “the mother of all bottle bills” to the “grandmother of all bottle bills.”...

It’s not often when an industry can have front page articles, back to back editorials against your industry, and survive, but that’s just what IGIA has done this past week....

Governor Culver, in his “Condition of the State” Address on Tuesday, as expected, called for a bottle bill expansion and tax, eliminating the reimbursement of EBT fees, and will push for passage on several pro-labor, anti-business measures....

Today marks the beginning of the 2008 Iowa Legislature. Both the House and Senate gavel in today. On Tuesday, Governor Chet Culver will give his first “Condition of the State” address to a joint session of the legislature....

Despite a heavy push by the Department of Inspections and Appeals and county health inspectors, coupled with an editorial by the Des Moines Register, a doubling of food license fees was averted in the last days of the 2007 Iowa Legislative session....

Rep. Pam Jochum (D) and Rep. Scott Raecker (R), have introduced H-2025 to SF 601, that will DOUBLE your food license fees! The Department of Inspections & Appeals and county inspectors have lobbied hard for a doubling of the fees....

After all the attention drawn from the Des Moines Register and Department of Inspections & Appeals (DIA) Director Dean Lerner last week, the Iowa Senate included a 35% increase in food license fees in SF 601, The Standings Bill....

The Food and Licensing Bill (HF 872) has been bottled up in the House Ways & Means Committee, and the Department of Inspections & Appeals (DIA) did not have the votes to get this out of committee....

The Food and Licensing Bill looks like it has reached an impasse in negotiations between the Department of Inspections & Appeals and IGIA....

Last Friday, April 6, was the second funnel date for this year’s Legislature. By then, all bills must have had to pass either the Senate or the House, and passed out of a committee in the other legislative body to be eligible to be considered this year....

Friday, April 6 is the second funnel date for this year’s Legislature. By then, all bills must have passed either the Senate or the House, and passed out of a committee in the other legislative body to be eligible to be considered this year....

Today marks the end of the 11th week of the Iowa Legislature’s session. This is the point in time when legislators, lobbyists, (and often times, the public!) are getting weary of the daily grind of the session....

The House passed the $1 per pack cigarette tax in the early morning hours Wednesday this week, and Governor Culver signed the bill into law on Thursday morning....

Governor Culver this morning signed the $1 per pack cigarette tax increase into law....

The House passed $1 cigarette tax 58-40....

$1 cigarette tax to be voted on in the House this afternoon....

Today is the date for the first “funnel” date, when any bill that has not passed out of a committee in either the House or the Senate becomes ineligible for consideration the rest of the 2007 session, and cannot be considered until 2008....

An expected vote in the Iowa House this week on a $1 a pack increase (HF 555) on the cigarette tax never materialized, as rumor is running through the Capitol that the House Democrats do not have 51 votes to push it through....

New Democratic Governor Chet Culver has heavily emphasized a $1 per pack increase in the cigarette tax in his budget this year....

Heat is on for a $1 per pack tobacco tax proposed by Culver....

Join your fellow retailers for IGIA’s annual Legislative Grocer’s Care Day on Feb. 13....

Make a difference – Attend IGIA’s Legislative Day!...

As promised, the new Democratic majority passed HF 1, the minimum wage bill this week in both the House and the Senate, and was the first bill signed by Gov. Culver on Thursday....

As promised, minimum wage bills were the first bills introduced by the new Democratic majority (SF 1 and HF 1)....

The Iowa General Assembly gaveled into session Jan. 8. The first week was dominated by speeches by new legislative leaders. Governor Vilsack gave his last State of the State address, the new Chief Justice gave her address, and most legislative committees spent time in their initial meetings with procedural organizational matters....